Locomotive truck



3 Sheet's-Sheet l Il :9 T` l A /l :I INVENTOR Fronk-L.Alben.

ATTORNEY F. L. ALBEN LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK Sept. 16, 1952 Filed Jan. 1o, 195o Sept. 16, 1952 F, ALBEN 2,610,586

LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1952 F. L. ALBEN LocoMoTIvE TRUCK Filed Jan. 1o, 195o 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ronkLAlben.

ATTO RN EY Patented Sept. 1K6? 1952 Frank L. Alben, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,

Pa., a vcorporation of Pennsylvania,

Application January 10, 1950, Serial No. 137,736

4 Claims. (Cl. 105--189) My invention relates, generally, to locomotive vtrucls and, more particularly, to trucks of the Vswivel type.

In order to meet competition for the locomov tive business it is necessary to simplify the structure and reduce the cost of electric locomotives andA at the same time increaseA their hauling "powerz One way to increase the hauling power of an electric locomotive is toincrease its tractive eiort by increasing the number of driving wheels and utilizing the weight on all of the wheels under a-locomotive as adhesive'we'ight.

TheV number of driving Vwheels under a locomotive can be increased by providing three or more four-wheel trucks under each cab of the locomotive.` However, when more than two four- ;wheel trucks arevprovided under a locomotive cab the trucks must be of a special 'type or subirames must be utilized. The locomotive struc- .ture canbe simplied and the cost reduced by Veliminating .the sub-frames.

Vmotiveor other railway vehicle, having acab vor a vehicle-underframe which is mounted directly on three or l more trucks, as generally described and claimed in acopending applicationof W. A. Brecht, Serial No. 778,409, led October 7, 1947.

Y Another object of my invention is to provide a .laterally.movable-locomotive truck having a cenf ter pin carriage in which the center pin functions onlyas a-pivot for the swivelling of the truck .and does not carry any of thecab weight. Y

Afurther object of my invention is tofprovid la laterallymovable locomotive truck having a center-pin carriage through which the cab weight .is supported by loading pads disposed on opposite sides ofthev-centerline ofthe cab.V A Y Still` another object of my invention is to transriage directly to the vtruck frame.

A still further object of my invention isto provide acenteripincarriage which is movable vertically in aiocomotive truck frame.

Other objects of my invention will be-explaned fullyl hereinafter"y or will be apparent'to those skilled in the art.- Y- i In accordance with yone embodiment of my invention," a'glocomoti-ve-trucl; center-pin carriage mit the cab weight through the center pin carlocomotive is provided with sliding surfaces to permit the truck to move laterally relative to the cab underframe. Springs may be provided to restrainthe lateral displacement of the end trucks of a locomotive having three or more trucks, as described and claimed in the previously mentioned'Brecht application. The center pin does not carry any of the cab weight which is transmitted through loading pads in the carriage to the truck frame.

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of my invention, reference may be had 'to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; in

which: Figure -1 is a view, partially in plan and partiallyin section, of a small fragmentary under Vportion ofv allocomotive cab and the pertinent parts of a truck embodying the principal features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view, partially in section and partiaily in end elevation, of thestructure shown in Fig. .1, and

.Figgis a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified truck structure. l l

Referring to the .drawings the structure shown .therein comprisesa locomotive cab or other railway'vehicle I0, only a small underframe portion 1 ofwhich'is shown, and one of theA three ormore 'trucks II which support Athe cab .|04 As shown,

the illustrated truck II comprises side ,frame .members I2 which arejoined together by end vframe members I3 and a centrally disposed crossmember Iii which may be formed integrally with .the side frames I2.

As shown most clearly in Figure 1, two spaced `longitudinally extending equalizer bars I5. 'are provided along eachside of the truck. The` ends .of the equalizer bars rest on journal boxes IB which are slidably disposed in pedestal jawsl'l on the tru-ck frame. TheV spring loadr of the truck II is divided in a known manner between .helical .springs I8' Fig. l) and leaf springs |j9 (Fig. 2) which are supported by the twopairs of equalizer-bars I5.

, Inprder topermit the truck II to swivel, `and also to move laterally relative to the. cab --I 0 when negotiating horizontal curves, the weightofth'e .cab Ill is supported-by having. its-underfram'e lrest slidably on the center-pin load-carrying carriages 2l ofthe respective cab-supporting trucks V II which support said cab-underframe. Each center-pin load-*carrying carriage Y2l is'swivelly supported on the cross member. I4 of its truck .I I. Thus, each center-pin carriage 2I Ais provided with a-.hollowdepending cylindricalcenter-pin fte 'the c b l0, between two parallel transverse chanmay move `,laterally relative to the cab.i f r'sho'ivn 'illgFigure 2.,:the lateral motions of the ityvo@ ndgtrucksyvhich support the cab are limitd by stopsv 31 attached to side brackets 38,

`ing of the cab I rests upon loading pads 24 which are disposed on the carriage 2| on opposite sides of, and spaced laterally from, the longitudinal center line of the cab. The pads 24 are preferablycomp'osed of a sound deadening material. Bronze Wearingy plates 25 may be provided on top of the pads 24 to engage a steel underplate 26 which is provided on the bottom of the cab under-frame. n n

The weight of the cab l0 is transmitted to the carriage 2|, which in turn rests on Wearing--V plates 2'! which are disposed in pockets 28 ywhich are carried by the truck I at points substantial# ly underneath the respective cab-engaging load-.-A ing pads 24. In this manner the cylindrical center-pin portion 22 of the carriage 2| functions only as a pivot for the swivelling of the and dojes notsupport any of the cab weight -vvgllich is transmitted through the carriage 2| to the-truck frame.

, The cab-*supporting loading- Vpads A244* are sull-lcientlyspaced,` laterally from the longitudinal centerjline of the cab, to make it unnecessary to provide said bearings to prevent tilting of t e cab.Av Metal plates 29 which overlap shoul- :lcflersjmon the carriage 2| may besecured to thecrgssmember |v4 of the truck to retain .the carriageZ |v V to permit swivelling of the truck l frarne aboutthe cylindrical.A portion 22.

The carriage-supporting pockets 28 may be provided .,Wlthpoverplates 32l to retain a lubricant in the vlin-order tosimplify theA ventilation of the tracf torsnot shown) which arepreferably 'f the axle hung type vin which eachmotor. has p nefsider mounted directly on the axl which it drives, the bottom cab plate 26 is provided with Vari opening 33 over thehollow cylindrical center- 'manner'.,z tl'lrughl thev opening V33 and lt rough'the hllov' cylindrical center-pin portio'ri 22,' intsuitabl ducts (not sliov'vrl) which enected .to the traction motors. A anged "ilfajl seal ci retainerY 34 may bs providedV between the cab plate 26 and the carriage 2l to ,.retainia lubricant on the bronze Wearing plates lTlie' retainer 34may' be held in position by 1 ;"silieilt"lneinb`er:35.`VV u Y. As 'sliownxmo'st clearlyV in Figure Y1,r each cenn carriage 2| is" slidably disposed under iiel members 3B which are secured to the underffra'ie-ofthe cab |0. These pairs of channel guideneil'ibei"'s 36 thus constitute means for 'guiding f the supportingecarria'ges'for saidunderarnehasjsome freedom orlateral motion but fsjibstantijally no' longitudinal o r swiveling mo- Since relative to :said cab-underfr'ame. ilildeipite 2G f the ab l0 iS Slidably Quilted directly upon the loading pads 24 of Vh carriage 2], Yeach carriage and its truck AS cr'ssf member |4'funderneath the'p'ockets 2`8ffr vthe Wearing plates 2l. As shov'vn, the Wearing which, in turn, are attached to the ends of the cross-guides 36 and to the sides of the underframe-plate 26 of the cab |0 as shown in Figs. l and 2 In order to yieldably restrain the lateral motion of the end-trucks of a locomotive having more than two trucks, as broadly covered in the aforesaid copending application of Wj. A. Brecht, any suitableresilient means are provided. Thus, in the illustrated form of my present invention, this lateral-motion-restraining resilient means isY shown in the form of spring members 4| which are attached to the brackets 3B of the cab |0, as by bolts 42, and having spring-ends which are disposed in pockets 43 provided in the center-pin carriage 2| of the truck Plates 44 are slidably disposed on the bolts 42 to engage the bottoms of the pockets 43. Thus, the springs 4| are compressed by lateral movement of the carriage 2| relative to the cab l0, thereby restraining the lateral movement. VIn this mannelithe lateral movement may be determined by the characteristics oiY the springs 4|.v It will be understood that resili'ent' members composed of bbiei a-Sililli"v material may be iitilivzed in- ,videdvonlyrfon thek end-trucks of each locomo- `tivecalcl'.V v'Ilie lateral movements ofthe-inner rvtrlicks' ar' preferably unrestrained. by

springs.' nl. this. manner the. locomotive' can 5and' lnvesA ,liorizi'ltally fac'loss VVthese pads there isn'of lsvstlns of tnefcenter pin when negotiating curves. This is not true with tcks'in which th-center lpii`nl'l'olstei-' is mounted on swing links K' "caus 'the' bolster to b elet/'ated 'when r unding c'irves. In thpresent structure'tll'e ese Vinlmerely :ilove-sj in s horizontal 'plane on the leading pads WltliilutA any elevating effect. t In; the modlncsuen lor 'the' inventic Aslmilm ps e". liifli the podris i8 of thejtruck. Helical springs'l'iareprovided inthe pockets 45, under- "tingV thefcenter'pin'fcariage I 2 to move Yvertically n the't ck frafi'lefand providing "additional 'serliig nexlbil'ity which "reduces weight 'transfer lia-"WillenV is'fsecured to the cross member I4 2| may rotate about the center-"pin` Ylii'enber4 "to imit'svvivellingof"the truck. The vWeight Of the Cab is Supported by lld-i'ng pads ZVWIiih are of a slightly different construction than the pads 24 previously described. A flanged retainer v34' for retaining lubricant on the loading pads is slightly different from the retainer 34. Helical springs l35 are provided for retaining the retainer 34 in position. The carriage 2| is also of a slightly different construction but is generally the same as previously described. Otherwise, the truck shown in Figure 3 is similar to the one shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Fromthe foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided an improved laterally movable truck having a center-pin carriage 2| in which the Weight of the vehicle cab is transmitted through the carriage to the truck frame |ll2 through the friction-surfaces 26--25 (Figs. 2 and 3), and either 21-28 (Fig. 2) or 21--46 (Fig. 3), Without the center pin 22 (Fig. 2) or 48 (Fig. 3) carrying any weight. Provision is made for restraining the lateral movement of the truck when it is so desired. The restraining springs 4I (Fig. l) may be readily removed from, or added to, a truck, thereby permitting all of the trucks under a locomotiveto be of the same general design, and permitting one truck to be readily substituted for another in case it is necessary to repair any of the trucks of a locomotive. 'I'he present truck is so constructed that a locomotive will operate properly over a track having both horizontal and vertical curves.

Since numerous changes maybe made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained jin the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted asgillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railway vehicle, the combination comprising: a plurality of trucks; a separate loadcarrying carriage associated with each of said Itrucks; a vehicle-underframe resting on the horizontal weight-carrying thrust-engagement means, disposed substantially straight above the previously mentioned horizontal Weight-carrying thrust-engagement means, for transmitting the vertical load of the vehicle-underframe to the several load-carrying carriages, while permitting said carriages to move laterally with respect to the vehicle-underframe; guide-means carried by said vehicle-underframe for constraining each of said carriages to a substantially rectilinear `translational movement laterally with respect to said vehicle-underframe,` said guide-means permitting said carriage to move laterally with respect to said underframe so that each of the carriages which support said underframe has some freedom of a limited amount of lateral motion, said guide-means substantially preventing longitudinal swiveling motions of the carriage relative to the vehicle-underframe;

and separate lateral restraint resilient means, disl posed between the respective carriages of at least each end-truck and the vehicle-underframe, for restraining the relative lateral movements of said carriages with respect to the vehicle-underframe.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, characterized by saidlateral-'restraint resilient means being associated with the respective center-pin carriages of only said two end-trucks.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, characterized by one of said Weight-carrying thrustengagement means including resiliently backed horizontal plate-means for providing vertical resilience.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3, characterized by said lateral-restraint resilient means being associated withthe respective center-pin carriages of only said two end-trucks. 1

FRANK L. ALBEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 777,575 Wands Dec. 13, 1904 948,067 Taylor Feb. 1, 1910 1,290,305 OConnor Jan. 7, 1919 2,263,442 Maris Nov. 18, 1941 2,384,785 Alben et al Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '784,969 France July 30, 1935 486,270 Great Britain June 1, 1938 

